We are pleased to invite you to vote for this year’s Amsterdam UMC Societal Impact Award and to announce that all three finalists are APH researchers! Societal impact is becoming more and more important for research and to highlight its significance, Amsterdam UMC grants a Societal Impact Award each year. Which researcher had the most societal impact in the last year? Please vote to help decide who will become the Societal Impact Award winner of 2024. The 3 finalists introduce their work in short videos below (the videos are in Dutch).
The Amsterdam UMC Research Institutes were asked to nominate their most impactful researchers based on societal impact. The jury of the Societal Impact Award of Amsterdam UMC, consisting of Yvo Smulders (chair), Carla Hollak and Allard van der Beek, selected 3 finalists. All three nominees have made a remarkable and impressive contribution to society as shown in the short movies below. All employees of Amsterdam UMC can help decide who will become the winner of the Societal Impact Award 2024. Participate? Please vote up until December 15th via the voting button below this page for one of the nominees.
F.l.t.r.: Claudi Bockting, Judith Huirne, Henry de Vries
Claudi Bockting
Interdisciplinary solutions for mental wellbeing
Claudi Bockting is clinician and professor of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Psychiatry at Amsterdam UMC and chair of the Academic Workshop Shift Left (Arkin). She is also co-director at the Centre for Urban Mental Health at the University of Amsterdam. She developed Preventive Cognitive Therapy (PCT) as a treatment against relapse in (major) depressive disorders and demonstrated its effectiveness in randomized trials, even over 20 years (see voorkomdepressie.nl).
PCT has been included in guidelines and numerous clinicians have been trained nationally and internationally. In doing so, she made a significant contribution to improving long-term recovery in depression. Her pioneering role in the responsible use of generative AI, moreover, demonstrates her ability to address complex social issues and provide solutions that are recognized worldwide.
In October 2023, she published guidelines for responsible use of generative AI in Nature, which were largely adopted by the EU in 2024. Her work extends globally, with projects in Indonesia, India, Rwanda, and Malawi. Claudi’s dedication to mental wellbeing drives innovative, interdisciplinary solutions worldwide.
Judith Huirne
Awareness of women's health
Judith Huirne is professor of Benign Gynecology at Amsterdam UMC and is dedicated to improve women's health. Her groundbreaking research on women-specific conditions has led to innovative diagnostics and targeted treatments, significantly enhancing the lives of millions of women.
The results of her research team were widely reported in national and international media. Judith’s impact extends far beyond the scientific field. Thanks to her efforts, national awareness of women's health has fundamentally shifted. The former minister personally visited Amsterdam UMC to view the work of her team and allocated millions of euros for women’s health research. This also resulted in a mandate from the Dutch parliament instructing the current minister to develop a national strategy plan for women’s health.
Within Amsterdam UMC, Huirne also aims to support the well-being of female employees by establishing a free clinic for cycle- and hormone-related conditions.
Henry de Vries
Sex-positive thinking
Henry de Vries is dermatologist and professor of Skin infections at Amsterdam UMC. As healthcare providers, we often speak unconsciously, but negatively about sex and STIs.
For a patient, words like infection, risk behavior and unsafe sex can mean the difference between a safe or unsafe consultation. In the latest edition of the multidisciplinary sexually transmitted diseases (STD) guideline, we therefore specifically pay attention to sex-positive consultation.
Sex-positive thinking is also reflected in the Atlas of Queer Anatomy, a joint art project of De Vries with Kuang Yi Ku, in which a diverse and inclusive medical curriculum is advocated for. In the spring of 2025, the Atlas will be published, and exhibited in museum Boerhaave in Leiden. Finally, De Vries is highly committed to meaningful care. As per 2025, the Netherlands will be the first country to stop testing for chlamydia in people without symptoms. His research shows that asymptomatic infections do not lead to infertility. This paradigm shift reduces antibiotic use and for many women this is a reassuring message.
Please vote
To vote, you have to be logged in with your Amsterdam UMC account. You can only vote once and this is possible up and including the 15th of December. The winner will be announced at the New Year’s meeting on January 9, 2025.
The votes of the employees of Amsterdam UMC will count for 50 percent in the final result. The other 50 percent consists of the judgement of an external jury: Lucie Peijnenburg (Patiëntenfederatie NL), Anna van der Hulst (GGD Amsterdam), Malika Sevil (Parool) and Diana Delnoij (Zorginstituut NL).